Name __________________________________ Date ___________________________________
Rate of reaction Lab – Effect of Surface Area
The following lab will indicate the effect of surface area on a chemical reaction. The reaction in this lab is the reaction
between vinegar (acetic acid) and chalk.
Pre-Lab
What is reaction rate?
What factors can affect the reaction rate?
Chalk is calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and vinegar is acetic acid (CH3CO2H). When they are mixed, CO2, H2O and Ca(CH3O2)2.
Write out a balanced chemical equation for this reaction.
As the reaction happens, what would you expect to see?
Which reaction will be faster, grinding the chalk or solid chalk?
Materials
beaker
vinegar – 100 mL
chalk – 2 small pieces
a mortar and pestle
Stopwatch
Procedure
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Grind 1 piece of chalk using a mortar and pestle
Leave the 2nd piece of chalk whole
Prepare stopwatch to time the reactions.
Add 100 mL of vinegar to the ground chalk in the beaker.
Observe the reaction and record observations.
Time the reaction and record.
Rinse out your beaker.
Add 100 mL to the entire piece of chalk
Observe the reaction and record observations
Time the reaction and record.
Which piece of chalk produced a faster reaction? – Why do you think this is?
Data and Observations
Run
Time
Additional Observations
Whole Chalk
Ground Chalk
Conclusions
Which reaction was faster?
Why was this reaction faster?
What other ways could you have sped up this reaction?